CHARLESTON -- A local woman was arrested on various preliminary charges following an alleged retail theft at the city Walmart Saturday.

Mariah J. Kissell, 29, of Charleston was arrested for possession of methamphetamine, possession of a controlled substance in a penal institution, retail theft and resisting a peace officer, police reported in a press release.

According to the release, Charleston officers responded to the Walmart located at 2250 Lincoln Ave. at 2:59 p.m. that day.

Tony West, Charleston police detective, said Walmart employees allegedly caught Kissell concealing hair dye on her person in the cosmetic section of the store. She was also allegedly found with shoes on from store that West said she had switched out with her own.

When they escorted Kissell out of the store, she reportedly "caused a scene" cussing out the officers and attempting to break free from the officer's grasp "multiple times," despite warnings these actions may lead to further charges by officers, West said.

She was sent directly to the Coles County jail, where she was allegedly found in possession of concealed contraband, according police. Officials report she was found with three hypodermic needles and packaging containing a white residue that field-tested positive for meth.

West said Kissell did not admit to being under influence of drugs or alcohol ahead of the incident.

2019 mug shots from the JG-TC

CHARLESTON — A man serving a prison sentence for an Effingham County DUI conviction receive another prison term when he pleaded guilty to a Coles County charge alleging the same offense.

Scott T. Dundee, 29, whose most recent address on record is on North 30th Street, Mattoon, formerly of Effingham and Charleston, pleaded guilty to a charge of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol.

Dundee was arrested for DUI and traffic offenses after he hit a parked vehicle then left the scene in Mattoon on July 12, 2017, according to records in his case.

With the agreement that was reached, he was sentenced to three years in prison, which was the minimum sentence possible for the conviction.

Prison twice was required and a term of up to 14 years, twice the usual maximum was possible, both because of Dundee's prior convictions. Those included an earlier conviction in Coles County in addition to the Effingham County conviction.

Dundee's Coles County prison sentence will run at the same time as the one from Effingham County.

Records in that county indicate that he was sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison last month after admitting to violations of the probation he first received for that DUI.

In the Coles County case, Circuit Judge James Glenn sentenced Dundee by accepting the terms of a plea agreement that prosecutor Jennifer Mudge and defense attorney Todd Reardon Jr. recommended.

In other cases in court recently, Glenn also accepted guilty pleas from:

Joshua A. Harrison, 31, whose address on record is 2100 Prairie Ave. Apt. 2, Mattoon, to a methamphetamine possession charge accusing him of having the drug on Nov. 12.

Harrison was sentenced to two years of probation with terms including a substance abuse treatment evaluation and a requirement that he follow its recommendations.

He was also ordered to pay various fines and court fees. Jail time was stayed, meaning he won't have to serve it now but some or all of it could be ordered later as a sanction in case of violations.

Dalton H. Wagner, 27, for whom records show an address of 835 Fuller Drive, Charleston, to a methamphetamine charge alleging he had the drug on June 14.

Wagner was sentenced to two years of first offender probation, so he won't have a record of a conviction if he completes it successfully. Terms included a treatment evaluation, fines and stayed jail time.

CHARLESTON — A man was sentenced to prison when he admitted using a credit card belonging to the Mattoon Golf & Country Club while he was employed there.

Phillip B. Henson, 39, for whom court records list addresses in Mattoon, Toledo and Flora, pleaded guilty to a theft charge accusing him of using the card for unauthorized purchases during May and June.

He was one of three people charged in connection with the illegal use of the credit card. Two women who were also charged and were later sentenced to probation.

With the agreement reached in his case, Henson received a prison sentence of two years. The conviction could have resulted in a two- to five-year prison term or up to 2 1/2 years of probation.

According to case records, Henson had the credit card for use as an employee of the country club but allowed the women to make purchases with it. The purchases totaled around $12,000, the records say.

Henson's prison sentence will run at the same time as a five-year term he received for a Moultrie County case last month. Records in that county show that he was resentenced to prison after his probation for a DUI conviction was revoked.

In the Coles County case, Circuit Judge James Glenn imposed the sentence by accepting the terms of a plea agreement that prosecutor Jennifer Mudge and Assistant Public Defender Stephanie Corum recommended.

The other suspects in the case were Melissa K. Edwards, 33, whose address on record is an apartment at 1413 Champaign Ave., Mattoon, and Monica S. Lee, 35, for whom records show an address of an apartment at 1121 Prairie Ave., Mattoon.

Each woman pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawful use of a credit card. Their probation sentences were the type that allows for no record of a conviction if completed successfully.

In other cases in court recently, Glenn also accepted guilty pleas from:

Eric S. Grayling, 43, whose address on record is in West Salem, formerly of Charleston, to a charge of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol.

Grayling was accused of driving while intoxicated in Coles County on Sept. 22, 2017, and the offense was a felony because of prior convictions.

With the agreement in his case, he was placed on probation for two years. A charge of driving while license suspended or revoked, also a felony because of earlier convictions, was dismissed.

Terms of Grayling's sentence included alcohol and other substance abuse treatment along with payment of various fines and fees. Jail time was stayed, meaning he won't have to serve it if he follows his sentence's other requirements.

TOLEDO -- A Charleston man allegedly had two firearms and several hundred rounds of ammunition with him when he took a car on Feb. 22 from a rural Cumberland County home.

The man, Timothy W. Stutts, was arrested later on Feb. 22 after a police pursuit that started in Moultrie County, went through Douglas County, and ended in Champaign County.

Cumberland State's Attorney Bryan Robbins said he filed charges of home invasion with a firearm and felon in possession of a firearm on Friday against Stutts, 34. Robbins said Stutts is set for a March 18 preliminary hearing, when a judge considers prosecution evidence to decide if there is sufficient reason for a case to continue.

Investigators have reported that Stutts was driving in southwest Cumberland County on Feb. 22 when his car broke down or ran out of gas, Robbins said. Stutts then allegedly broke into a home along County Road 1400N near Trilla at about 2 a.m. and used a firearm to demand a car from the residents. Robbins said the residents were not hurt.

Robbins said investigators have reported that the car abandoned by Stutts at the home invasion scene contained a rifle, a shotgun and several hundred rounds of ammunition.

The Illinois State Police has reported that Cumberland deputies notified area law enforcement agencies about the home invasion and car theft. The suspect, later identified as Stutts, was subsequently spotted in Sullivan and pursued by multiple police agencies to Champaign County, where he was apprehended near Philo.

The home invasion charge is a class X felony that could bring a prison sentence of 6-30 years, plus up to 15 additional years for a firearm being involved. The felon in possession of a firearm charge is a class 3 felony that could bring a prison sentence of 2-5 years.

Robbins said bond for the Cumberland charges has been set at a level at which Stutts would need to post $50,000 in order to be released from custody. Stutts is in custody at the Coles County jail on a previous charge of domestic battery.

Photos: 2019 mug shots from the JG-TC

CHARLESTON -- A judge on Friday dismissed a case that sought a halt to Coles County's reassessment of its commercial and industrial property.

However, Circuit Judge Johnathan Braden based his ruling on what the lawsuit sought as relief and allowed it to be refiled using a different approach.

Mattoon business owners Rex Dukeman and Robb Perry filed the case against the county in October in attempt to stop the project that began in 2015. Dukeman and Perry are two members of a group called the Concerned Tax Payers of Coles County, which is opposing the reassessment.

After Friday's hearing, Perry said the group plans to "keep going forward" and continue to pursue its legal options against the reassessment.

The reassessment opponents case was styled as a "writ of quo warranto," which is used to try to force someone to show the required authority for an action. They filed suit after the Illinois Attorney General's Office and county state's attorney both declined the Concerned Tax Payer's request to take legal action regarding appraiser Bob Becker's hiring to conduct the reassessment.

That request for legal action was based on one of the opposition group's chief contentions, that Becker was hired as an independent contractor and could not handle duties assigned to the county assessment office. Becker was later appointed as a deputy with the assessment office but that took place after the reassessment work was already underway.

On Friday, Braden said his concern came from the possible remedies this type of case allowed, which are ouster from office, fines or both. While Becker's removal was part of what the case sought, it also asked the county be barred from using the new property values from the reassessment, the judge noted.

After granting the county's motion to dismiss the case, Braden also approved a request from attorney Todd Reardon, who represents Dukeman and Perry, to refile it using a different legal approach. Before Braden's ruling, Reardon argued that an improper appointment led to Becker's conducting the reassessment, resulting in what the case was challenging.

In his arguments to Braden, county State's Attorney Jesse Danley also mentioned the limited remedies for the type of case in question. Danley also contended that the lawsuit actually amounted to a tax objection that could be addressed with assessment appeals or in other ways. Braden did not address that part of the motion to dismiss the case.

After granting Reardon's request to refile the case, Braden allowed him a month to prepare it and another month for Danley to file a response. The judge set a case management hearing for June 7.

Dukeman and Perry were also the named plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit against the county seeking a stop to the reassessment. A federal appeals court upheld a trial court dismissal of that case based on a jurisdictional issue. Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court declined a request to review the matter.

The reassessment has been a four-year project that, according to the county assessment office, is near completion. The county decided to do the reassessment because commercial and industrial property in the county had not received new values for taxing purposes since 2001.

Public complaints began after business owners in Mattoon Township, the first of the county to be reassessment, received notices of their properties' new values.

Lowe allegedly possessed 23 grams of individually packaged methamphetamine, a digital scale and currency when police had contact with him. He was taken to the Coles County jail.

Michael V. Bridges, 62, of Mattoon was also arrested at 9:58 p.m. Monday in the 2900 block of Marion Avenue after police served a search warrant at his residence.

Bridges allegedly possessed more than 70 grams of meth, individual packaging, and a digital scale at that time. He was taken to the Coles County jail.

Regarding another arrest, Kaylee M. Carruthers, 19, of Mattoon was arrested on a preliminary charge of meth possession at 7:35 p.m. Thursday in the 2100 block of Champaign Avenue after police were called to an apartment building there regarding suspicious drug activity within the building. Carruthers was taken to the jail.

CHARLESTON -- A Charleston High School student accused of making threats toward fellow teenagers will return to court next month.

Circuit Judge Jonathan Braden on Friday scheduled an April 12 hearing for the teen who was arrested on Dec. 3 after police reports that he threatened to shoot other students.

The boy was 17 years old and a student at Charleston High School at the time. He was charged in juvenile court with disorderly conduct in connection with the incident.

In court on Friday, defense attorney D.C. May said she and Coles County State's Attorney Jesse Danley were still working on negotiations in the case.

Braden then agreed to May's suggestion of setting another hearing to check the case's status.

At the time of the arrest, Charleston police said an investigation found that the threat was "only verbal" and there was no evidence that "the student had any real thoughts" of harming anyone.

Police said the boy was reported to have been arguing with three females through multiple contacts on Facebook messenger.

He allegedly made threats to "shoot" the three females -- and in one case her family -- and was willing to come to school if need be, according to the police accounts.

Police and school officials confronted the boy as he arrived at school the next morning and no weapons were found in his possession, according to authorities.

The teen was also suspended from school following the incident, according to Charleston School District officials.

A Journal Gazette/Times-Courier reporter attended Friday's hearing. News media are allowed at juvenile court proceedings but can only report a suspect's name if it's obtained from a source outside of court.

Braden barred news coverage of a hearing in the case on Feb. 8 but later reversed that position after he said he reviewed juvenile court law. The judge indicated that the teen entered a denial to the charge during that hearing.

CHARLESTON -- A man was sentenced to a total of five years in prison for having methamphetamine and not registering his address as required because of a child battery conviction.

Nicholas J. Blakemore, 34, whose most recent address on record is 3300 Shelby Ave., Mattoon, pleaded guilty to charges of methamphetamine possession and failure to register as a violent offender against youth.

In addition to having methamphetamine on Oct. 13, Blakemore was accused of not registering his address with police within five days of moving in June.

With the agreement reached in his cases, he was sentenced to three years in prison for the methamphetamine possession and an additional two years for the registration violation offense. The sentences had to be added together and could have totaled 10 years.

A retail theft charge accusing Blakemore of stealing cigarettes from the Mattoon County Market store on Jan. 1 of last year was dismissed. That charge was a felony because of a prior burglary conviction.

Blakemore was required to register his address with police because of a 2015 conviction for hitting a 10-year-old child. In that case, he received a record of unsuccessfully completing the probation sentence he received. The prosecution agreed not to seek revocation of the probation, which could have resulted in re-sentencing and more prison time.

Coles County Circuit Judge James Glenn sentenced Blakemore by accepting the terms of a plea agreement that Assistant State's Attorney Tom Bucher and Public Defender Anthony Ortega recommended.

In other recent cases before Glenn:

Niki M. Baldwin, 19, whose address on record is 2308 Western Ave., Mattoon, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor disorderly conduct charge accusing her of causing a disturbance during a theft at the Mattoon Walmart on July 21.

A felony burglary charge accusing Baldwin of a role in planning to steal from the store was dismissed and she received a year of court supervision. The sentence allows for no record of a conviction if completed successfully.

Baldwin was arrested along with Maxwell P. Rosa, 27, who pleaded guilty to burglary charges in August and received a prison sentence.

Bradley A. Keller, 39, for whom records show an address of 2209 Richmond Ave., Apt. 2, Mattoon, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor theft charge accusing him of a role in stealing tools from a unit at Jake's Storage in Mattoon on Jan. 31.

A felony burglary charge was dismissed and Keller was placed on probation for two years. Terms included payment of a share of restitution along with various fines and court fees.

Jail time was also part of the sentence but it was stayed, meaning Keller will not have to serve it if he follows his other requirements.

Glenn accepted a plea agreement that Bucher and Ortega recommended.

A theft charge against Reece D. Hutton, 19, whose address on record is 1703 Monroe Ave., Charleston, was dismissed.

Hutton was accused of depositing checks he knew would not be covered at a bank and then withdrawing money from the bank during October.

State's Attorney Jesse Danley said bank officials indicated Hutton repaid the money and they were agreeable to the case being dismissed. He also said Hutton had no prior criminal convictions.

CHARLESTON -- Marijuana possession charges against a woman were dismissed after she and a co-defendant claimed the drugs belonged to him alone.

That was a prosecutor's explanation for the move in the case against Zarihiya S. Cartman, who was one of two people accused of having the marijuana at a Charleston residence on June 12.

Cartman, 20, for whom court records list addresses of 1519 12th St., Charleston, and in Chicago, was charged with possession of cannabis and possession with intent to deliver, both felony offenses.

Charleston fire crews discovered the marijuana at the Charleston residence when they responded to a report there of a cat stuck inside a wall, according to Coles County Assistant State's Attorney Joy Wolf, who prosecuted the case.

Cartman and the residence's other occupant, Devon R. Foster, were both arrested and charged, and Foster pleaded guilty last month.

According to Wolf, Cartman denied that the marijuana was hers and claimed it belonged only to Foster, who gave the same account. Foster's confession and guilty plea led to the decision in Cartman's case, Wolf explained.

Circuit Judge James Glenn granted Wolf's motion to dismiss the charges against Cartman, who was represented by attorney Patrick Lee.

Foster, 25, for whom court records show the same Charleston address, was sentenced to 2 1/2 years of probation with his guilty plea to a possession with intent to deliver charge.

In other cases in court recently, Glenn accepted guilty pleas from:

Tiffany M. Toothman, 34, whose address on record is 26965 State Highway 133, Oakland, to an obstructing justice charge accusing her of lying to police investigating a battery at her residence on Jan. 6.

Toothman admitted hiding one of the battery suspects, Eric N. Marcrum, and she was sentenced to two years of probation.

The sentence was the type of probation known as second chance, which allows for no record of a conviction if completed successfully.

Terms included an evaluation for substance abuse treatment and jail time that was stayed, meaning she won't have to serve it if she follows her sentence's other requirements.

Marcrum, 30, for whom records show a Hume address, and James C. Arnold, 39, whose address on record is in Oceanside, Calif., were arrested for allegedly attacking a man at Toothman's residence.

Both men pleaded guilty in January, with Arnold entering his plea to a reduced charge, and each man was sentenced to two years of probation.

Blake M. Russell, 21, for whom records show an address in Joy in Mercer County, to a charge of possession of cannabis with intent to deliver.

Russell was accused of having about eight ounces of marijuana in his vehicle when police stopped him for a traffic violation on Illinois Route 16 just west of Charleston on Dec. 12.

He was sentenced to two years of first offender probation, another type of sentence that allows no record of a conviction if completed successfully. Terms included a treatment evaluation, various fines and court fees, and stayed jail time.